Well... usually swedish ivy is usually grown as a houseplant in temperate areas (it's not hardy where you are - it is a Zone 10 and higher tropical). Cuttings are real easy, take a piece and stick in water. Voila!

If you do want to put it outside - since they trail, you could put it along the edge and stick other things in the middle that are flowering and colorful. The sky is the limit really since the swedish ivy would give you a sortof a neutral green (or variegated) background. It's pretty tolerant of sun or shade. Just make sure it gets watered or it will droop.

I never thought of using Plectranthus outside in a container. That's a good idea. Something kind of grassy and a tall flowering plant would be really pretty with it I think. jenny's right about watering or drooping and the cuttings starting easily in water. When I had Swedish ivy indoors I grew it in a south facing window and it did great for quite a while, loved the sun. One thing to watch for is that it can get a black mildew on it, that's what happened to mine.

For containers I like to use something tall & spikey in the center or back, then something bushy surrounding or in front, then the trailing plants (swedish ivy, in this case) at the edges. Always works for me!

Hi Jenn!

Here's a photo of my Swedish ivy from last summer.

{{gwi:2260}}

I had it in a hanging basket, but of course, brought it in for the winter. It's out there again now, but it's double in size what it was last summer! I prefer to not mix anything with it.

You could put a coleus (or depending on the size of your container, up to three or four) in the middle for a great non-flowering combination, or include tuberous begonias for flowering. They're taller than the Swedish ivy. Or you could mix Swedish ivy with bacopa for a lush look.

OOh ...thanks for the ideas so far, my wheels are churning!!! I'm very new to gardening and even newer to this site, I appreciate any advice.
Revclaus: beautiful picture, they get bigger than I thought!
KWILSONROB: silly me, I never thought of a container with a front and back...Thank you
Dingbat and Jenny: thanks for the advice and info on cuttings...would you know how long it takes. I've had a lipstick plant I took cuttings from, put in water, and after a month still no roots (they are happy though).
Love this site and forum...everyone is so freindly and knowledgeable!!!!!

That big plant of mine you saw? That's from cuttings started in April! The pic is from August.

Swedish ivy as I recall roots quickly, I'd say within a week. Please realize I haven't had any for years though. Lipstick plant on the other hand I think takes longer. I may have finally rooted my cuttings in soil, but I'm not sure. I'm sure others here and people over in House Plants would know more about rooting them than I do.

Definitely a quick rooter. I have some rooting right now. I rooted a little piece last year and stuck in a pot to give my mother. It's almost the size of Judith's now. LOL

For the past while, I've been trying to identify my houseplant that I've had for a couple of years. The closest that I can find, is that it might be a swedish ivy. It looks just like the photos I've seen here of swedish ivys. I have a question? Do the leaves on swedish ivy feel somewhat thick? Mine are thick, at first I thought it was a succulent. Anyway, the leaves are oval and have jagged edges but feel kind of thick. Any help would be appreciated. (I wish I had a camera)

So sorry...I forgot to mention that the leaves on my plant are sort of waxy. I'm beginning to think that what I have is not a swedish ivy afterall. I've looked at a lot of swedish ivy descriptions and have found nothing in the descriptions that mentions, thick, waxy leaves. However the shape is a lot like the swedish ivy. Any ideas? Thanks everyone, I really do appreciate your help.

Thick waxy leaves sounds almost like either a hoya or dischidia. I have 5 hoyas and one has the more roundish leaves (although the leaves are tinier but I've seen some that were bigger). Do you have a picture? They may be able to help ID it or at least say yay or nay, on the Hoya Forum

Hi Jenny,
I don't think it is a Hoya, it doesn't look like it to me. Their are no flowers on this plant (just leaves) I received a small cutting last year from my doctor's receptionist. It was in their office. I took it home and planted it. She doesn't know what it is either. I scanned the leaf because I don't have a camera, not sure how to get it on here so you can see it.

Cadence - many of the posts on the Hoya Forum deal with how to even GET them to flower! LOL So just because it isn't flowering, doesn't mean it isn't a hoya. Of my 5, I actually only have one that has flowered.

In order to post a picture, you need to find a hosting site to put the pictures. Webshots and Picturetrail are two that many people use. Then you can put a link to where the pictures are or certain host sites will allow you to actually display your picture within a message here. In that case, you can simply type the following code in your message:

<img src="http:/location/of/your/picture/picname.xxx">;

where "xxx" is usually "jpg". If you have a broadband connection for internet service, most of those providers actually give you space to put pictures or stuff for a webpage.

Jenny,
Thanks very much for your help. Okay, I will check out the Hoya department. Do swedish ivys have rubbery type leaves? and jagged edges too? I've either got a swedish ivy or a Hoya. At least I'm down to two. LOL

Cadence - the my swedish ivy doesn't have rubbery leaves. The edges are scalloped though. It basically looks like Judith's ("revclaus") picture above.

Oh wait! I think I know what you have!!!! I do have a plant with thicker waxy leaves and scalloped edges! (that's a shame...lol). A kalanchoe!!!! WOW! It has leaves just like a swedish ivy but they are thicker and waxy. It also blooms in winter but you have to treat it like you would a Christmas cactus - I believe it blooms during short-day periods, ie., you let it get less and less hours of light and give it some cool temps, and it will eventually set buds, send up a little bloom stem, and bloom with tiny little flowers at the top of the stem. This is mine (sitting in front of a hoya...lol):

{{gwi:2261}}

They are succulents I believe. I bought 2, 2.5" pots of them about 5 or so years ago at the supermarket (they are popular around Christmas time as potted, foil-wrapped plants, along with cyclamens). One was a pink bloomer the other a white. I wasn't sure what to do with them and just kept them under a table lamp where they promptly grew leggy. LOL Eventually I took a long piece off of one and stuck it in water (just like a swedish ivy). It rooted and I potted it. That piece ended up the only thing that survived. I then began to read about them and eventually last summer, I stuck it outside and kept it out with the Christmas cactus until October. Then stuck it under my halogen lights. It eventually set some flower buds and bloomed for the first time since I bought the momma.

They grow these as a ground cover in California and I'm sure other mild winter locations. I saw them outside in front yard strips in San Francisco.

Well - I'll be...Jenny my dear, you sure know your stuff don't you? Yeppers! That's it by golly, that's what I have. A Kalanchoe!!! Jenny, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your taking the time to help me with this. Your photo is exactly what I have. YESSSS! I'm so happy! Once, I accidently broke a piece off and thought I'd stick it into a glass of water. I set it on my window sill and it rooted like crazy, so I just stuck it back into the same container and it grew just fine. I've never seen blossoms on it but I'll try the method you suggest and keep my fingers, eyes and toes crossed. LOL Thanks Jenny!

Cadence - it's funny but this morning I was listening to a gardening talk show on the radio (I pick up NYC stations down here and tune in every week). There was a question about getting the kalanchoe to bloom and the host mentioned the same thing - letting it get less and less light in the fall and that will trigger it into a bloom cycle. Pointsettas are also done that way, although you don't really have to go through what some people do with the complete darkness. Just keeping it outside until just before a frost and it should have set flowers before then and should bloom not longer after being brought in and placed in some light. Also the host mentioned that they can be pruned to make them bushier and of course, the prunings can be rooted in water and stuffed back in with the mother or made into a new plant.

Wish you luck! I gotta find some room to stick mine outside! LOL

Jenny, thanks for all that really helpful information. You must eat, drink and sleep gardening, not to mention hear it too! LOL - That's why you're such an expert on gardening, you obviously have a genuine passion for it.

Not any more or less than the rest of Balconeers! LOL

I am a student doing a project with Swedish Ivies, and we are using one as the control of the expiriment, and one as the variable. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what things I could do to one ivy to compare with the other. Thanks!